Jakarta Temple Honors the Old Ways of Buddhist Monks

The Jakarta Globe, Sylviana Hamdani

A four-meter-tall statue of the Buddha adorned with flowers and Indonesian and Buddhist flags. (Photo: Sylviana Hamdani, JG)

According to one legend, about 2,500 years ago, during Vassa, the monsoon season in Nepal, 30 monks journeyed along roadsides and rain-soaked rice fields to spend the season with Siddharta Gautama —­ later known as the Buddha.

Due to the treacherously wet conditions, they were forced to shelter at a monastery, where they spent their time studying, praying and meditating until the weather cleared and it was time for them to move on.

The rainy season retreat became a tradition for monks that has persevered until today.

The Kathina festival celebrating the end of Vassa is held at different monasteries in Jakarta on different days between mid-October and mid-November.

“For Buddhists, Kathina is the second-largest celebration after Vesak [the birthday of Buddha Siddharta Gautama],” said Ruby Santamoko, a representative of the Indonesian Buddhist Council (Walubi).

At Buddha Metta Arama, the oldest Theravada (the ancient teaching) Buddhist monastery in the capital, Kathina was celebrated on Sunday.

“That morning over 1,300 people gathered at the monastery,” said Paba Karo, a monk who has lived at Buddha Metta Arama for 10 years.

The celebration began at 9 a.m. with prayers. Then, one by one, children dressed in colorful traditional clothes stepped forward to make offering of fruits, flowers, candles and incense sticks.

Forty-seven senior monks from Indonesia, Nepal, India, South Korea and Thailand presided over the event.

“I’m very surprised to see the number of people who attended today’s celebration,” said Prat Suprim, a monk from Nepal.

At noon, the Thai Embassy held a ceremony at the monastery, attended by representatives of Asian embassies, including Nepal, Laos, Vietnam, South Korea and Singapore.

“Today’s ceremony is a tradition for Buddhists after the rainy season. The monks stay in the temples during the rainy season, because we, as Buddhists, do not want to step on the living things that come out during that time,” said Thailand’s ambassador to Indonesia, Akrasid Amatayakul.

A four-meter-tall statue of the Buddha, flanked by statues of two of his faithful students, Ananda and Mogalana, and adorned with flowers and Indonesian and Buddhist flags, was the centerpiece of the ceremony. Incense filled the air as 47 monks recited prayers in the ancient Pali language.

“They pray the gifts will bring blessings — both for the monks who will use them and for the congregation that offered them,” said monk Karo.

Piyawat Niyomrerks, deputy permanent secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, acting as a representative of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, offered the gift of royal robes to the monks sitting in the front row.

“In Thailand, Kathina is one of the main religious events in the Buddhist calendar,” Piyawat said. “Thai Theravada Buddhists traditionally offer monks robes after the Buddhist Lent. As a devout Buddhist, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej adheres to this tradition and annually bestows the Royal Kathina Robe upon several Buddhist temples within Thailand and in other countries where Buddhist communities and temples exist, including Indonesia.”

After the prayers, guests gave the monks gifts of basic necessities, such as towels, cakes of soap, tea, coffee and cookies. Some of the congregation also offered money in small red envelopes to the monks.

“The funds collected from today’s ceremony will be used to build temples in remote areas throughout the country,” Paba Karo said.

“We believe that the alms given during the Kathina month will bring special blessings,” said Fanny Chua, who attended the ceremony.

“It’s like planting seeds in the rainy season. It will bear many fruits.”